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yard1 definition

yard (yärd)

noun

    1. a unit of length in the FPS system, equal to 3 feet or 36 inches (0.9144 meter): abbrev. yd
    2. a cubic yard, equal to 27 cubic feet or 46,656 cubic inches (0.7646 cubic meter)
  2. Naut.
    1. a slender rod or spar, tapering toward the ends, fastened at right angles across a mast to support a sail
    2. the transverse member of a mast on non-sailing ships: used to hold signal flags, lights, etc.
  3. ☆ Slang one hundred dollars or, sometimes, one thousand dollars

Etymology: ME yerde < OE gierd, rod, staff, yard measure, akin to obs. Ger gerte, rod < IE *hazdho-, var. of base *ghasto-, rod, pole > L hasta, pole, spear

yard Idioms

the whole nine yards

Etymology: < ?

Informal everything, or the limit
yard2 definition

yard (yärd)

noun

    1. the space or grounds surrounding or surrounded by a building or group of buildings: often in combination churchyard, farmyard, etc.
    2. a plot of grass adjacent to a building, house, etc.
  2. a pen or other enclosure for livestock or poultry
  3. an enclosed place used for a particular purpose or business a lumberyard, shipyard
  4. a place where wild deer, moose, etc. herd together for feeding during the winter
  5. a railroad center where trains are made up, serviced, switched from track to track, etc.

Etymology: ME yerd < OE geard, enclosure, akin to ON garthr, OHG gart, garden < IE *gherdh-, to enclose, surround (> girdle, Russ górod, town) < base *her-, to grasp, contain

transitive verb

to put, keep, or enclose in a yard: often with up
yard Idioms

the Yard

Informal Scotland Yard

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

finance yard definition - finance

idioms yard idiom

yard Synonyms

yard

n.

  1. An enclosure, usually about a building

    court, courtyard, barnyard, backyard, corral, fold, patch, patio, terrace, play area, lawn, grass, garden, clearing, quadrangle, lot; see also playground.

  2. An enclosure for work

    brickyard, coalyard, junkyard, navy yard, dockyard, railroad yard, stockyard, lumberyard.

  3. Often plural; tracks for making up trains

    railroad yard, switchyard, railway yard, marshalling yard, terminal.

  4. A unit of measurement

    three feet, pace, step, arm-span, thirty-six inches; see also measure 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

yard Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • marshal: There was also heavy flak to the north of Hamme on the approach to the railroad marshaling yards.

Adjective modifier

  • livery: The house is situated about 2 miles from Addington Equestrian Center, close to local livery yards.

Modifies a noun

  • offside: Smith looked two yards offside as the ball was played forward by Dacourt again.

Noun used with modifier

  • scrap: This time around, poor Herbie starts out in a scrap yard about to be crushed.

Possessives

  • knacker: More cuts would simply bring the knacker's yard closer, faster.

Preposition: from

  • tee: The 8 & unders played 9 holes of approximately 1900 yards from Blue tees.
yard usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

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MLA Style

"yard." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/yard>

APA Style

yard. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/yard

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